The council, a division of the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department, was created by the executive order of Governor Kitzhaber in 1998 and consists of nine volunteer members.
In 1984, an Oregon Trail Advisory Council was formed by executive order of Governor Atiyeh.
[1] In December 1990, Governor Roberts responded to the report by supporting the founding of the Oregon Trail Coordinating Council (OTCC) as an independent nonprofit corporation, and called on the council to plan activities for the 1993 Oregon Trail sesquicentennial celebration.
[1] The OTCC had anticipated dissolving after the commemoration, but the sesquicentennial highlighted the success of its programs and the state continued to support the group while expanding its mandate to include other Oregon historic trails, so the OTCC postponed its dissolution until at least 1995.
[1][2] During the 1997 legislative session, however, a bill was passed that included a provision terminating the manufacture of the specialty Oregon Trail commemorative license plates that had been authorized in 1993 and 1995 to provide funding for the council.